Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-25
THE Right of Translation Is Reserved
CHAPTER xv.-'1T CAN NEVER BEL"

tu6u VI aDSeLJ we're III the lSUuST lSSfL o.
Melanie Talbot, with shrinking from
contemplation of the dull, hopeless and
empty life that would be before her now
if Montague LonsdaIe proved, indeed,
untrue. Yet, through the evening and
long hours Of the night thst followed the
episode on the river, no tears came to her
relief, even amid the crushing fears that
he Circean Niles OF Hilda rremayne
might have parted them for ever; for, Of
Hilda, she had always had baltcon-
temptuous dread, with much OF entire
DOUBT.
If it were so, death could not more
eEeCtually separate her and Montague.
And her future nCW-What would il
what could it be? Cold drops stood Oh
the girls white forehead &t the thought
Yet wild longing possessed her to
see him once egain; TO tell MIN, even up-
bTaidingly, what she lad seen and over
heard; perhaps TO throw her arms about
him, and to Kiss him once agein; bat,
then came the horror-the bitter couvic-
tion-thst unless the episode could bear
| explanation, ne would value or require
her love no longer, snd hist another
would stand between them then.
The dawn came in slowly, finely, end
the warm July morning crept on apsce.
The sunshine lay over everything; on the
garden without, or the eQuipagg OF the
breakfast table within, even on the grim,
set face Of her uncle as he pored over his
correspondence; and by one quick glance
st the place where her cup and plate
stood, Melanie perceived that there was
no letter lying there for her-neither by
post nor messenger had one come from
Montague Lonsdale-2nd again her heart
died within her breast.
No letter-Snd she could reckon now
the hours within which he would have 70
depart and report himself al the brigade
office of the district to which bis regi-
ment belonged, ere he started for Bengal
UaCla GrimshaW, meanwhile, Was
gloomily and irTitably opening several
ominOu5- looking blue envelopes, ad-
dressed in the typical scrawling hsnd Of
trade, mutteTilg IS he did SO, with far
tive snd rasenHUl glances at MelCaie,
whose hands trembied among the cups
and saucer5:
"Bius-bills-of course"
"What, u0cle?" she asked, wasrily, snC
scarcely taking IN his remark.
"Bius. Surely l spoke plainly
J GuO ueA. liz cAGpDCu. . ne CA O-ASt
even Of this small house is FAST gettiae
/ beyond me-"
Melgpie only sighed, as she turned K
supply the wants Of her Invalid brother
= and felt and knew all that the words anC
: manner Of her gGGrdiGn implied, snd VIVA
= was passing in his mind and almost IN
juring the relish with which he despatched
. his kidneys and mushrooms.
p,1f fresh a0p0r7 -cas Fr~r~, oTb1r Cr1c r
y tiers came, and the successive visits c
= Sir Brisco Bray5rooke and her Aunt Gail
= ljngton utterly precluded her IRON st
!, tempting TO seek the usual meeting place
and so the eventful day, 20 her, passe
Wearily and anXiously on.
When Sir BrisCo came with sn IN
wished-for tribute Of rare flowers, Uacl
I Grimshaw disCreetly withdrew, on som
feigned pretence, and Melanie asked her
self, as she had often done before:
"When will he understand that, ate
having rejected him, we cannot and ough
e not to meet agsin?"
But this troublesome and unSnub2bl
old sutton seemed to deem her soft
I headed girl, who. with ell her beauty, he
neither mind nor will of her own, en-
would in the end bend to circumstance.
However, Sir Brisco lad now made Il
his mind to get married. He had alread
q "brOken the ice" by asking Melsnie {
share his title and wealth, and at hi
years did not care, perhaps, to risk To
trouble of cultiyating another youn
lady.
8 Retaining tie girls hand in hiE-th
very hand that bore Montague's engsg.
70 ment ring, and bending over her in
- courteous aud somewhat fatherlY way,
te said:
n az do love you with a wild, crazy pa.
/ sion that gives me no rest-nO peace,
said Sir Brisco, in low voice, taikir
p" from some book rather than his caim 81
heart; land l would give ny lie to hsy
you-to win you-rather than see you al
others"
This sounded very like "high falutin',
but the last word alarmed Melagie, az
her eyes fell On her ring, yet she venture
= to ask:
- "But If one could be happier with IN
other, do you csll your persistence love?
"What is Il, then?"
"Selfshuess.
!, "Come!" he exclaimed, dropping he
hand for moment; ais there another?
: 81 have not said So" replied MeIani
J! as she bit her neither lip in annoyance
her unwilling question,
She had not yet had-and actual
might never have-any explanation froT
or reconciliation with, Montague Lon
Ie dale; aud with this alarming dread b.
fore her and the baronet's words in b
ears, the whole room seem to dam
round them, while with aching eyes s.
. saw, as through 8 midst, the faded Gu
tains, the patched carpet, the shsbl
cretolne-Covered chairs, aud the gener
2 air Of genteel poverty that lay painful
over everything, sad which even Gil i
art and taste failed TO hide.
- Natheless the bad progress OF mis- ST
~ as yet, gray haired Sir Brisco hoped II
D. time would come when Melsnie wou
be his; but meanwhile every effort (
wards more than the merast frierdsh
= wss bafll9d by her, and he seemed to
= perpetually undergoing the mUTtifcatit
D. Of lest opportunities.
On her part, she would have taken
higher and more resolute stand, and r
. scented his persistence, but tor the foT
AN OF those fs.Sl circumstances which cs
sct her and her two brothers so complets
into the power OF her uncle and Guardia
-. thus, as yet, she could dc no more tn
att misersbly temporiZa.
"Melsnie," said Sir Brisco, Hho en-
tire situation well, as he rose to Wit
2 draw, II have plenty for Us both, G1d I
1 your brothers, too. Let my home
theirs as well as yours. I hsve thcus
it I'll over many times; aIl my hope
happiness IS N your hands. Ssy only :
3 word-o3e little woId, yes"
+ But she shock her head despopden